Your Guide to Foreign Exchange Coins

Posted by: Ian • 30 Aug 2025

If you’ve ever come back from a trip abroad, you’ll know the feeling. You empty your pockets or purse to find a handful of foreign coins. They feel too valuable to just throw away, but trying to exchange them at a bank is a non-starter. This guide is here to clear up the confusion and show you a simple, practical way to turn that clutter into cash. We offer a fast, easy, hassle-free, and 100% guaranteed solution for exchanging your foreign coins and notes, with no need to sort anything.

What to Do with Your Leftover Foreign Coins

That jar of leftover holiday money sitting on your shelf is more than just a collection of memories—it's real money waiting to be used. Most people just let their leftover foreign currency gather dust, thinking there’s no easy way to change it back into pounds. After all, high street banks and currency exchange desks almost always turn away coins, leaving you with very few options.

But there is a simple and effective solution. We’ve built a specialised service designed to make it completely hassle-free to convert foreign coins and banknotes.

A Service Built on Trust and Simplicity

We’ve designed our entire system around your convenience. Forget about the headache of sorting through piles of different currencies or trying to figure out which coins are which. Our process is as straightforward as it gets: just gather up your collection, and we’ll handle the rest. No sorting required!

It’s this simple, reliable approach that has earned us the trust of major brands across the UK. We are the trusted choice for well-known charities, supermarkets, airports, and even police forces who depend on our efficiency and integrity.

Our commitment to a stress-free experience covers all types of currency. Whether you have current coins in circulation, old pre-Euro money, or obsolete banknotes, our service gives you a reliable way to unlock their value. You can find out more about how to unlock the value of your leftover foreign coins with We Buy All Currency in our detailed guide.

The Scale of Currency in Circulation

To understand why a dedicated exchange service is so important, just look at the sheer amount of physical money out there. In the UK alone, there are roughly 27 billion coins in circulation. That huge number, managed by the Royal Mint, shows just how much physical cash is still a part of our daily lives, even with the rise of digital payments.

Now, think about that on a global scale. Countless coins from every corner of the world end up here in the UK after holidays and business trips, sitting in drawers and jars.

Our 100% guaranteed service ensures you get the full value for your collection, with no hidden fees. We provide a fast, transparent, and secure way to convert foreign coins and banknotes, turning forgotten currency into real cash.

Whether you want to exchange foreign coins and notes for cash or donate foreign coins to charity, our platform gives you a practical, trusted way to do it. Don't let that coin jar become a permanent fixture on your shelf. With our help, you can finally convert those foreign coins and put the money to good use.

Why Banks and Bureaus Won't Touch Foreign Coins

It’s a story every traveller knows well. You walk into your local bank or a bureau de change with a bag of leftover holiday money, and they gladly take the notes but push the coins straight back. It's a frustrating moment that leaves you wondering why they refuse what is, after all, still legal tender.

The truth is, it has nothing to do with the value of your coins and everything to do with the economics of handling them. For big financial institutions, the whole process is simply not worth the hassle.

The High Cost of Small Change

At its core, the problem is about weight and volume versus actual value. Imagine a kilogram of mixed foreign coins. It might only be worth a few pounds, but the cost to sort, count, and ship it back to its home country can easily exceed its face value.

High street banks and exchange bureaus are built for efficiency. They deal in high-value banknotes that are simple to process, both electronically and physically. Coins, on the other hand, are a logistical nightmare for them. The main expenses that make it unworkable include:

Sorting and Counting: Every single coin needs to be identified by country and denomination. This is a massively labour-intensive task that can't be automated when you're dealing with hundreds of different currencies from around the globe.
Secure Transportation: Shifting heavy bags of coins is expensive and requires secure logistics, adding another layer of cost.
Admin Overheads: The paperwork involved in tracking countless tiny transactions quickly adds up, making the whole operation a loss-leader.

For every pound's worth of coins a bank handles, they could end up spending more than that just to get it processed. This is exactly why they stick to banknotes, leaving travellers with very few options for their leftover shrapnel.

We created our service to solve this exact problem. We offer a fast, easy, and hassle-free way to convert foreign coins and banknotes without you needing to sort a thing. It’s a simple, 100% guaranteed solution.

A Specialised Service You Can Trust

This is where a dedicated currency exchange service like ours makes all the difference. We’ve built a streamlined process designed from the ground up to handle mixed bags of leftover foreign currency, coins and all.

By focusing on this specific niche, we can manage the logistics in a way traditional banks just can't. Our expertise means we can efficiently process currency that others turn away, from current coins to old, obsolete money.

It’s why we’re trusted by some of the UK’s biggest organisations, including leading charities, supermarkets, airports, and even police forces. They rely on our secure and dependable service to manage their currency collections, and you can too.

So, while banks have good business reasons to reject your coins, it doesn't mean they're worthless. It just means you need a specialist partner to help you unlock their value.

A Simple Process to Convert Coins to Cash

That heavy jar of mixed foreign coins sitting in the corner? Turning it into actual cash might sound like a chore, but we’ve made the whole thing incredibly simple. Our entire system is designed to get rid of the usual headaches, giving you a fast, easy, and hassle-free way to exchange your collection. From the moment you start to the day you get paid, every step is crystal clear and secure.

We built our service around one core idea: simplicity. You shouldn’t have to spend hours sorting through different currencies or trying to figure out what that obscure coin is. We do all the heavy lifting for you, ensuring a smooth ride that puts you in control.

Your Journey From Clutter to Cash

We've broken down the exchange process into just a few easy steps, making it simple for anyone to convert their leftover foreign currency. Our goal is to give you complete confidence from start to finish, with a transparent system that guarantees you get a fair value for your collection.

It all starts with you gathering up your unwanted currency—both foreign coins and notes. This means everything from current holiday money to old, obsolete currency that the banks won't touch. And the best part? There’s absolutely no need to sort anything. Just put it all together.

Next, you just need to request a free collection pack from our website. We’ll send you everything you need to package your currency and post it to us, completely free of charge. Once we get it, our expert team gets to work.

We meticulously sort, identify, and value every single coin and note using the latest exchange rates. Our process is 100% guaranteed, so you can trust that your currency is in safe hands and will be valued accurately. After we’ve tallied it all up, we send you a detailed breakdown and get your payment processed quickly.

This handy visual shows you just how straightforward it is to turn your currency into cash.

As you can see, converting your foreign exchange coins is a clear and logical process, moving smoothly from sending your collection to getting paid.

Your Journey from Clutter to Cash: A Simple 4-Step Process

This table breaks down our simple, hassle-free steps to convert your foreign currency with our guaranteed service.

Step	Action Required by You	What We Do	Key Benefit
1	Gather all your foreign currency—coins and notes. No sorting needed!	Provide a free, secure collection pack.	You save hours of time and effort.
2	Package your currency and send it to us for free.	Receive and log your collection securely.	Completely free and tracked for your peace of mind.
3	Relax!	Our experts sort, identify, and value every item.	Our 100% guaranteed process ensures accurate valuation.
4	Await your payment.	Send you a detailed report and process your payment quickly.	You get paid fast, with full transparency.

It really is that simple. We’ve taken all the complexity out of currency exchange so you can get on with your day.

"Our commitment is to provide a service that is not only fast and easy but also completely transparent and secure. We are trusted by major brands, charities, and police forces because we deliver on our promises every time. Your satisfaction is 100% guaranteed."

Why Our Process Stands Out

So, what makes our service the go-to choice for so many? It really boils down to a few key benefits you won't find anywhere else. We’ve looked at all the common pain points of currency exchange and built solutions for them.

No Sorting Required: This is our biggest promise. Just bag up all your leftover foreign currency, and we’ll handle the fiddly job of identifying and counting everything. It saves you an enormous amount of time and effort.
Fast and Secure Payments: We know you want your money quickly. As soon as your currency is valued, we issue payment directly to your bank account or PayPal, usually within just a few working days.
Complete Transparency: You’ll get a full, itemised report of what we’ve received and its total value. There are no hidden fees or sneaky charges—what we quote is what you get.
Accepting All Currency: We don’t just take current coins. Our service covers old and obsolete currencies, pre-Euro coins, and even discontinued British money, giving you a genuine one-stop solution.

This comprehensive approach is exactly why organisations like airports and national charities rely on us to process their currency collections. They need a partner who is reliable, efficient, and trustworthy, and we’re proud to be that partner. If you want a more detailed look at the steps, you can learn more about how to exchange foreign currency with us.

Whether you're an individual with a small collection or an organisation with a huge volume of coins, our process is designed to work for you. Get started today and see just how easy it is to convert foreign coins and notes into valuable cash.

What Kinds of Currency We Accept

Most people think exchanging foreign currency is just for the usual suspects—the Euros or US Dollars you bring back from a holiday. But our service goes much, much further. We’ve built our expertise around handling a massive range of currencies that are typically turned away elsewhere, making us the genuine one-stop solution for anyone with a mixed bag of money.

Our fast, easy, and hassle-free approach means you never have to worry about what you're sending. Just gather it all up, and our team will handle the expert identification and valuation. It’s this comprehensive service that has earned us the trust of major UK brands, from national charities and airports to police forces.

Current Foreign Coins and Banknotes

Of course, we accept all current and circulating foreign coins and banknotes. If you’ve got leftover holiday money from a recent trip, we can turn it into cash for you, quickly and without any fuss. This covers everything from major world currencies to those from more off-the-beaten-path destinations.

Unlike the high street banks, we don’t just cherry-pick the high-value notes. We know the real headache for travellers is figuring out what to do with handfuls of shrapnel. We accept it all, no matter how small the denomination, making sure you get value from every last cent, yen, or peso in your collection.

Obsolete and Pre-Euro Currencies

This is where our service really shines. Have you got a drawer filled with old European money from before the Euro came along? These coins and notes, often written off as worthless, still hold real value, and we specialise in exchanging them.

We can help you convert a huge range of pre-Euro currencies, including:

Spanish Pesetas: The currency of Spain before it joined the Euro in 2002.
German Deutschmarks: A famously strong and stable currency that was replaced by the Euro.
French Francs: The historic currency of France, which has been out of circulation for years.
Italian Lira: Often found in big denominations, these notes and coins are still exchangeable.

Finding a place that can exchange foreign coins and notes like these is incredibly difficult, but our simple process makes it a breeze. Don’t let that old money go to waste—send it to us and unlock its hidden value.

Our 100% guaranteed service ensures that every single piece of currency, from obsolete coins to modern banknotes, is valued accurately. You can trust us to handle your collection with the care and expertise it deserves, all without you having to sort a thing.

Old and Discontinued British Money

Our expertise doesn’t stop at foreign currency. We also accept old and discontinued British money that you can no longer use in shops or deposit at the bank. This includes things like the old round £1 coins, shillings, and even pre-decimal currency.

Before 15 February 1971, known as Decimal Day, the British coinage system was pretty complex. A pound was made of 20 shillings, and a shilling was 12 pence, which made trade and currency conversion a bit of a nightmare. The switch to a decimal system simplified everything, bringing the UK in line with global standards and making foreign exchange much easier.

If you’ve got any of this old British currency lying around, we can exchange it for you. Our commitment to accepting such a broad spectrum of money is what sets us apart. For more details, check out our guide on where you can exchange foreign coins to see just how comprehensive our service is. Whether you want to exchange foreign coins, convert obsolete notes, or donate foreign coins to charity, we are here to help.

The Trusted Choice for Charities and Major Brands

When you’re dealing with money, trust is everything. Choosing who to send your foreign coins and banknotes to means putting your faith in their process, their security, and their honesty. That’s why we’re incredibly proud to be the trusted partner for some of the UK’s most respected organisations, including major charities, national supermarkets, airports, and even police forces.

These organisations didn't just pick us out of a hat. They rely on our fast, easy, and hassle-free service because it delivers consistent, transparent results, time and time again. They need a partner who can securely and efficiently handle huge, mixed bags of currency, and our 100% guaranteed process gives them exactly that peace of mind.

Why Leading Organisations Rely on Our Service

Think about it: major brands and charities often end up with enormous amounts of unsorted currency collected from the public. They need a system that's not just reliable but also cuts down on their own admin work. Our entire service is built to handle these heavy-duty requirements, which is why they keep coming back.

Here’s what makes our process their first choice:

No Sorting Required: For a large charity or a busy airport, the time and cost of sifting through thousands of coins would be staggering. We get rid of that step completely, saving them a massive amount of time and resources.
Complete Transparency: We provide detailed valuation reports so that every single penny is accounted for. This kind of clarity is absolutely vital for organisations that have to answer to donors, stakeholders, and the public.
Secure and Guaranteed Process: From our free, tracked collection packs to our secure processing facility, we make sure every collection—big or small—is safe from start to finish.

This rock-solid process lets these organisations get on with their real mission, knowing their currency collections are in dependable, professional hands.

Donate Foreign Coins to Charity With Ease

Our commitment to making a positive impact extends directly to you, too. We truly believe that your leftover foreign currency can do a world of good, which is why we’ve made it ridiculously simple to donate foreign coins to charity through our platform.

Instead of letting that jar of old coins and notes gather dust, you can easily turn it into a valuable contribution for a cause you care about. When you send your currency to us, just choose to have the money sent directly to one of our partnered UK charities. It’s a simple, powerful way to make a difference without any extra effort on your part.

Turning leftover travel money into charitable donations is a fantastic way to support important causes. Our streamlined process ensures that the full value of your foreign exchange coins goes directly to helping others, making giving both easy and effective.

The sheer volume of coins out there shows just how much potential these small donations have. As of March 2016, there were nearly 30.1 billion UK coins in circulation with a total value of over £4.6 billion—proof of how much value is tied up in physical cash. Your own collection of foreign coins is part of this massive global pool of untapped resources. You can dive deeper into the data on Wikipedia's detailed page about coins of the pound sterling.

By choosing to exchange or donate with us, you’re using a service that has been tested and proven by organisations that demand the highest standards. Join them, and let’s unlock the true value of your currency today.

It’s Time to Unlock the Value in Your Foreign Currency

Have you got a dusty jar of foreign coins sitting on a shelf somewhere? Most of us do. It’s more than just a collection of travel mementoes; it's a stack of untapped cash waiting to be put to good use. For far too long, people have thought there’s no practical way to deal with leftover foreign currency, especially the coins. But that simply isn't true anymore.

We’ve built a service that is fast, easy, hassle-free, and 100% guaranteed. Our whole process is designed to turn your forgotten currency into real money with as little effort as possible from you. You don’t need to be an expert in foreign exchange coins or spend hours sorting through different denominations. Just gather it all together, and we’ll handle the rest.

From Clutter to Cash: The Simple Next Step

The journey from a cluttered drawer to cash in your bank account is incredibly straightforward. We've stripped away all the usual barriers to make the experience completely seamless. Here’s a quick reminder of the powerful benefits you get with our service:

Absolutely No Sorting Required: Just send us your mixed collection of foreign coins and banknotes. It’s that easy.
Fast and Secure Payments: Once we’ve valued your currency, your money is sent directly to you without delay.
A 100% Guaranteed Service: We promise a transparent and accurate valuation for every single piece of currency you send.
Trusted by the Best: We’re the chosen partner for major charities, supermarkets, airports, and even police forces across the UK.

Don’t let that value sit on a shelf gathering dust. Your collection of leftover foreign currency is worth real money, and our secure, trusted process makes it easier than ever to unlock it.

Get Your Money Working for You

Now is the perfect time to act. Stop putting it off and transform that forgotten currency into something useful—whether that’s extra spending money, a contribution to your savings, or a donation to a worthy cause. The process to convert foreign coins and banknotes has never been more accessible.

Ready to get started? The first step is simple. Order your free collection bag today from our homepage and begin your hassle-free currency exchange journey. Let us show you just how easy it is to exchange foreign coins and notes and put that money back where it belongs—in your pocket.

Visit We Buy All Currency to claim your free bag now.

Your Questions Answered

We get it. Sending a bag of cash through the post might feel a little unusual at first. To put your mind at ease, we’ve answered some of the questions we hear most often about our simple, quick, and completely hassle-free service. Our aim is to make sure you have everything you need to know before you pop your currency in the post.

We’re proud of our transparent, 100% guaranteed process. It’s why some of the biggest names in the UK—including major charities, supermarkets, airports, and even police forces—trust us with their foreign currency.

How Long Does the Whole Thing Take?

You want your money quickly, and our service is built for speed. From the day you post your free collection bag to us, the entire process usually only takes a few working days.

As soon as your collection lands with us, our expert team gets straight to work sorting and valuing your foreign coins and notes. The moment the valuation is done, we’ll ping you a detailed report and get your payment processed right away.

Is There a Minimum or Maximum I Can Send?

One of the best things about our service is that there are no strict minimum or maximum limits. We welcome collections of all shapes and sizes.

Whether you’ve got a small handful of coins from a weekend away or a huge, heavy jar filled with currency from decades of travel, we can handle it. Our system is set up to manage everything from tiny amounts to the large-scale collections we receive from our corporate partners. So, no matter how much you have, you can turn it into cash with us.

Our promise is to provide a seamless experience for everyone. We believe all leftover foreign currency has value, and our flexible approach means you can exchange it, no matter the amount.

How Do You Work Out the Exchange Rate?

Trust and transparency are at the core of everything we do. We value your currency based on fair, competitive, and up-to-date exchange rates. For any currency that’s still in circulation, we use the latest market data to give you the best possible price.

What about old, obsolete, or pre-Euro currency? That’s where our specialists step in. They use their deep knowledge and industry data to give you an accurate valuation. You’ll always receive a full, itemised breakdown showing exactly what we received and the rates we applied. It’s a key part of our 100% guaranteed promise.

What Happens if My Collection Bag Gets Lost in the Post?

Your peace of mind is our absolute priority. We’ve made our process incredibly secure because we know sending valuables by post can feel like a leap of faith. Our free collection bags are fully insured and tracked, protecting your currency from the second it leaves your hands.

In the extremely unlikely event a package goes missing, our guarantee means you are completely covered. This secure and reliable system is exactly why major organisations trust us to handle their currency collections.

Ready to turn that forgotten currency into cash? Join thousands of happy customers and trusted brands who use We Buy All Currency for a fast, easy, and secure exchange.

Order your free, insured collection pack today by visiting We Buy All Currency.